Imaging News

Sjögren’s syndrome, sarcoidosis and systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis all share common features when analyzed through salivary gland ultrasound, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

ORLANDO — Although magnetic resonance imaging has played a limited role in arthritis care, the emphasis on reducing patient radiation exposure, combined with improved MRI techniques, may bring this modality to the forefront, according to a presentation at the Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference.

Among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the hand with more clinically swollen joints is likely to be the best option for monitoring ultrasound activity, and thus best choice for unilateral scoring, according to findings published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

New technology entering the medical field often portends a number of positive developments: Improved diagnosis and management of a disease; faster or more efficient service at the point of care; and a more affordable option for patients. However, one drawback that clinicians can usually count on is a messy transition from the old technology to the new, a scenario currently taking place as rheumatology moves away from conventional X-ray to more advanced imaging techniques, including ultrasound and MRI.

Although most of the ultrasound scanning conventions detailed in the 2011 consensus remain applicable for rheumatologists today, there is still a need for rheumatology-defined descriptions for “complete scan” and “limited scan” to better reflect how physicians in the specialty currently use the technology, according to an updated consensus published in Arthritis Care and Research.

Political activism is more accessible than ever thanks to the amplification offered by social media, and rheumatologists can use social media — particularly Twitter — to advocate for the profession and their patients, according to Angus Worthing, MD, private practice rheumatologist and chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the American College of Rheumatology.

In the ever-changing landscape of the United States health care system, rheumatologists need a voice. They need a voice in managing the complex web of drug pricing structures, a voice in developing clinical guidelines, and, on a fundamental level, a voice in simply communicating with all the players involved in running the day-to-day operations of a rheumatology practice.

Enthesitis is common among patients with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, as well as individuals with fibromyalgia who undergo a clinical examination only, according to findings published in the Journal of Rheumatology.

Researchers using ultrasound were able to detect bone erosions in 44% of patients with gout, with 78.4% of erosions occurring at the first metatarsophalangeal joints, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

I always look forward to the ACR yearly review course for an engaging way to get updates on various topics in the field of rheumatology. It’s also a way to reminisce what it’s like to be a high primary school student again and makes you wonder how you were ever able to sit in the same seat all day long, day after day!